The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has again charged officers, airmen and airwomen of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to remain focused and professional in performing their duties of protecting Nigeria’s territorial integrity. The CAS gave the charge yesterday, 10 January 2019, while commissioning a newly completed block of 18 units of 2-bedroom flats for Senior Non-Commissioned Officers (SNCOs) at 551 NAF Station Jos. With today’s commissioning, the effort of the current NAF leadership to increase accommodation sufficiency for personnel has been given a further boost.

Represented by the Chief of Administration, Headquarters NAF, Air Vice Marshal Kingsley Lar, the CAS said the project was geared towards enhancing the welfare of personnel to enable them focus on their tasks while spurring them to do even more in adding value to the Service. He enjoined the beneficiaries of the new housing unit to make the best use of the facility and ensure that the structure was properly maintained. The CAS stated that personnel would need to build on the significant successes recorded by NAF aircraft and NAF Special Forces personnel in Operations SHARAN DAJI, LAFIYA DOLE and DIRAN MIKIYA in the Northeast and Northwest of the country. He noted however that these successes would not have been possible without the resolute support of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari. “We are indeed grateful to the government for this support and promise to continue to sustain our efforts towards enhancing a strong and prosperous nation”, he said.

In his welcome remarks, the Commander 551 NAF Station Jos, Air Commodore Kabiru Aliyu, said the commissioning was a dream come true for many personnel and their families who would enjoy the new facilities thereby further boosting their morale and willingness to excel on the job. He said the giant stride taken by the CAS in providing befitting accommodation for personnel was highly commendable. The accommodation, he said, was one amongst the many positive developments and initiatives of the present NAF leadership which would remain indelible in the minds of the 551 NAF Station Jos Community. Other dignitaries present at the event included Honorable Luka Madaki, who represented the Plateau State Governor, Barrister Simon Lalong, as well as traditional rulers, senior military officers and heads of paramilitary agencies in Plateau State.

The commissioning brings to 6 the number of housing projects commissioned in NAF Base Jos alone between July 2015 and January 2019. These include 6 units of 2 bedroom bungalows for Non Commissioned Officers (NCOs), a block of 10 units of one-bedroom Studio Accommodation for NCOs, a block of 30 units of one bedroom high-rise accommodation for NCOs and 6 blocks of 3-bedroom Married Officers’ Quarters (MOQ). Others are 2 blocks of 10 units of one-bedroom Single Officers’ Quarters (SOQ), a block of 18 units of 2-bedroom flats for SNCOs as well as a newly constructed Mess for NCOs.